🦑 Fried calamari
Fried calamari are squid rings tossed in flour and deep-fried until golden and crisp. The coating is light and crunchy, while the squid inside stays tender if cooked quickly. They are served hot with lemon wedges as a starter or bar snack across the Mediterranean, the Balkans and Turkey, where the dish is known as kalamar.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 600 g cleaned squid, cut into rings
- 100 g flour
- 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper
- Oil for deep-frying
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Method
- Pat the squid rings dry with paper towels.
- Mix the flour with salt and pepper and toss the squid in it, shaking off the excess.
- Heat the oil to 180 °C and fry the squid in small batches for 1–2 minutes until light golden.
- Drain on paper towels and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
How to make it lighter
- Grilled or pan-seared squid with lemon has far fewer calories than the fried version.
- Share a plate as a starter and fill up on salad.
- Skip creamy dips and use lemon juice instead.
History
Frying squid in flour is a long-standing tradition in coastal kitchens around the Mediterranean, and the dish is now a fixture of seaside taverns and fish restaurants throughout the region.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →